New Work from Ballard High's Award-winning Video Program

Ballard High School students make an appearance at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth

“The Showing” PremierPrice: $5 (sold at the door)Location: Ballard High School AuditoriumTime: 7 p.m. (Get there early! This will definitely sell out.)

To say that Matt Lawrence has a background in film is an understatement. The University of Wisconsin graduate has tackled everything from script development to film scoring, but education has always been his passion. In 2001, Lawrence began teaching the Video Production Program at Ballard High School. “The most rewarding aspect of teaching is helping students develop their talents,” he says. “I regularly see students making productions that adults would be proud of.” He’s not exaggerating; Lawrence’s students continuously receive awards and honors for their film work, mostrecently at the 15th annual Derek Freese High School Film and Video Festival at Temple University in Philadelphia this past December (Ballard High School students won every award in the documentary category along with three students awarded in the fiction category). “The Showing” premier is a chance for the public to see what the Scorseses of tomorrow have been working on.

Seattle magazine caught up with Matt Lawrence and had him pick the brains of five of his aspiring filmmakers to see what inspires them, their recipe for the perfect film and the careers that would make them happy for the rest of their lives.

SM: What makes a good film?RH: A compelling character.BS: An engaging plot that keeps the audience guessing.DM: Film is all about the story. No matter how pretty it looks, if the plot is boring or confusing the film won’t be good.

SM: What’s the most challenging part of producing a project?EN: Getting other people to be as excited about your ideas as you are.SK: The production process. Figuring out how a film is going to be put together takes a lot of work.

SM: What’s your favorite part of film production?BS: The transformation of words to images. There’s such a vast array of camera techniques you can use to reveal the thoughts and emotions of the characters.EN: I love hearing an audience laugh at my piece because they understand or relate to a certain element of it.

SM: What’s your dream job?BS: Directing feature length films and touring around the world, hopefully getting a screening at some festivals.DM: Working for the Daily Show has always been a dream of mine. If I was funny enough to write for Jon Stewart, that’s what I would do. I also want to make a documentary about the 2012 elections by taking a cross-country road trip with my camera.